SISKIYOU COUNTY MYSTICAL MT. SHASTA, EPIC OUTDOOR ADVENTURE & GOLD RUSH HISTORY
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nforgettable Siskiyou County is uniquely touched by all four seasons and defined by its lush forests, a landscape of ancient volcanic drama, green pastoral lands, and a rich history that give modern-day explorers a true sense of adventure. It is home to the natural wonders of Mt. Shasta, Castle Crags, Lava Beds National Monument and multiple wilderness areas that include sixty-plus miles of the Pacific Crest Trail.
It’s also home to the headwaters of the Sacramento River and the mighty Klamath River, where numerous tributaries provide some of the most exciting rafting, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing in California. Anglers come for the world-class trout fishing along the McCloud and Upper Sacramento Rivers, and waterfall enthusiasts flock to the dramatic and easily accessible cascades of McCloud Falls and Hedge Creek Falls, among others. For the train enthusiast, Dunsmuir offers a self-guided railroad photography tour, while the Railroad Park Resort offers a unique experience to sleep in a caboose and dine on a train. Step back in time in nearby McCloud, a historic lumber town on the National Registry where you can dine in style, or treat your sweet tooth at the turn-of-the-century Sugar Pine Candy Store in the McCloud River Mercantile. Cyclers and mountain bikers love Siskiyou for its lack of crowds and opportunities for all skill levels. In the summer, the Mt. Shasta Ski Park becomes a mountain biking paradise complete with electric bikes and vertical lifts. Nearby, the scenic, multi-use, 80-mile Great Shasta Rail Trail gets closer to completion every day, with three sections of the trail totaling 40 miles now open for non-motorized multi-use, including hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and cross- country skiing. In the far west corner of Siskiyou, Happy Camp also boasts several miles of multi-use trails that follow old Forest Service trails, as well as some of the most pristine swimming holes in Northern California. It’s also Bigfoot Country, with epic fishing and white water rafting on the Klamath. No matter where you are in Siskiyou, Mt. Shasta tends to dominate the landscape. This prominent landmark of the Shasta Cascade region is known as one of the sacred mountains of the world. Visitors who come to experience its wonder will find exceptional access to the mountain year round via the Everitt Memorial Highway. The city of Mt. Shasta offers an array of charming shops, spiritual centers and equipment outfitters.
Lava Beds National Monument Photo: Courtesy Discover Siskiyou SISKIYOU COUNTY
In the winter, the Mt. Shasta Ski Park offers 425 acres of outstanding downhill skiing and
boarding, as well as tubing and cross-country skiing, while in the summer it becomes a haven for mountain biking. Outside of the ski park, Mt. Shasta’s glaciers beckon backcountry skiers and mountain climbers from all over the world. The summer climbing season runs from April until October. Guide services are available. North of Mt. Shasta in Weed is the stunning Living Memorial Sculpture Garden – a must-see sculpture park and war memorial and a perfect place for quiet reflection. A little further north, the town of Yreka was born out of one of the largest gold strikes in California history and is still shaped by this discovery. Remarkably, more than 70 pre-1900 homes still line the streets, and Historic Miner Street is listed on the National Registry with quaint shops, restaurants and interpretive signs along the way. East of Yreka in the beautiful Shasta Valley sits Montague, a historic town that hosts one of the region’s biggest events—the Montague Balloon Fair. For bird watchers farther east, Tule Lake National Refuge and Lower Klamath Basin near Dorris and Tulelake boast nearly 500 species for viewing and one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in the United States. Also traversing the east side of Siskiyou is the spectacular Volcanic Legacy All-American Road that takes motorists through the Lava Beds National Monument, where lava flows from the Medicine Lake Volcano formed more than 700 caves, over 20 of them visitable. It also nears Petroglyph Point – the largest panel of Native American art in the US that reveals evidence of Modoc ancestry dating back at least 6000 years. Here you will also find Captain Jack’s Stronghold, where sixty Modoc warriors held off nearly 1000 troops for five months. To immerse yourself in the history narrated by a descendent of the Modoc War, visitors are encouraged to download the awardwinning driving audio tour The Modoc War: A Homeland Lost on VoiceMapTM mobile app (compatible with both Android and iOS) and follow the step by step directions in the app on a tour through much of the Lava Beds National Monument.
Shasta Cascade Visitors Guide
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